Hose-coupling



(N0 Model.)

0.3mm. HOSE COUPLING.

Patented 001;l 27, 1885.

NiTnn STATES CHARLIE E. MARK, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

HOSE-COUPLING.

SFECIFICATIONformng part of Letters PatentNo. 329,326, dated October 27, 1885.

Application lled July 9, 1884. Serial No. 137,203. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLIE E. MARK, of y Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hose-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the construction of automatic or selfacting couplings for eXible hose, such as is employed upon railway-cars for air or steam brakes. The couplings ordinarily employed for this purpose are secured to the hose and hang pendent therefrom at the end of the car, and when it is desired to connect with the hose-coupling of an adjoining ear the operator is compelled to step between the cars, and grasping a coupling in each hand force the two together. The same danger to the operator arises from this labor as arises from the necessity of entering between the cars to couple them together, and as the attention of the public and of legislators is called to this danger to life and limb, it appears necessary that as the self or automatic car-couplings will undoubtedly soon be universally adopted some devices should be perfected by means of which the air-brake connections should be automatically made.

The object of this invention is to accomplish this end, so that all necessity for an operator to go between the cars for any coupling purpose shallbe avoided.

The invention consists in so forming the hose-coupling and attaching the same tothe car that on approaching each other as the two cars to be coupled are forced toward each other the hose-coupling will engage without the intervention of the hand, and at thesame time will readily uncouple when desired, as more fully hereinafter described.

Figure l is a side elevation of the two adjacent ends of two cars which are provided with the air-brake hose and my automatic hose-couplers attached to the respective drawheads of any of the known automatic carcouplers of the class that are operated from any point except from between the carsas, for instance, by levers or other devices from the side or top of the car. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section of one of the attachments shown in Fig. 1, it being understood that both ends of the cars are similarly provided with these attachments. Fig. 8 is a detached perspective View of a draw-head with my selfacting hose coupler attached. Fig. shows a pair of my automatic couplers in central horizontal section.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication, the car-coupler A shown is a self-coupler, such as is described in certain Letters Patent issued to me on the 15th day of April, 1884, and numbered 296,859, although I do not desire to confine my device to this special form of self car-coupler, as it may be used with equal success upon any other style or form of self carcouplers which are operated from the sides or tops of the cars to which they are attached.

B represents the hose of the air-brake systeni as ordinarily applied, and at the free end of each of the hose there is secured, by any of the known means, one-half or part of my improved selfcoupler C, which is constructed as follows: The cylindrical portion a is the part attached to the hose, and has an air-passage, b, coincident therewith. This air-passage diminishes in size, as shown, as it approaches the closed end ofthe device, which terminates in a rounded hook formation, c. The air-passage turns at nearly right angles, as shown at d, and the air passes through this contracted passage through the inclined face or diaphragm e, the orifice through which such escape is had being surrounded by a rubber or elastic bushing or packing, f, which is so secured in place as to project beyond the outer face of the diaphragm. At the inner end of the diaphragm and of the flaring mouth h there is formed a socket, t', of the form of the point c, and large enough to admit the same to enter such socket. It will be seen by an examination of Figs. 3 and 4 that the mouth ares in two directionssidewise to form the inclined face of the diaphragm, and in vertical cross-section in order to guide the point c of each of the parts as they approach each other .into the sockets z'. This peculiar formation also compensates for any variation in the height of the two adjacent cars. Vhen the parts of the coupler are thus engaged, the air-passages d will be found coincident, so that the air will find a clear passage IOO through the coupler, the joint being air-tight by means of the elastic bushing or gasket, which by its elasticity has a tendency to conne the points c in the sockets i, and when the air-pressure is on it connes the parts together firmly, sufficient for all practical purposes. This is brought about by constructing the connecting air-passages, as described, at nearly a righ-t angle to the passages that lead from the hose, so that a strong side pressure, equal to the air-pressure, is obtained for this locking purpose. Each part of this coupler is supported by suitable links, kk, to the draw-head or car-coupler ofthe car to which it is attached, and a coil-spring, Z, is secured at one end to the hose-coupler, and at the other end to the draw-head, as shown, and it is preferred that this spring be inclosed in a case, m, as shown` in Fig. 3. This spring exerts a forward force upon the hose-coupler at all times, tending to hold the parts of the hose-coupler together, and assists in preventing accidental displace ments thereof. A chain, a, leads from the hose-coupler rearward and upward, Where its other end is secured to the draw-head or carcoupler, to limit the forward action of the spring Z.

This automatically-acting hose-coupler may be disengaged as to its parts quite readily by cutting off the air-pressure, as this forms an important element in Isecuring the parts together when the coupler is in actual service. The parts are so constructed thatunder ordinary circumstances they will hold their connection; but when the air-pressure is on the hose it requires much force to disconnect them.

This hose-coupler may be employed to couple the hose of any of the known forms of air or steam brakes, while it will be found of great value as a hose-coupling for all purposes. It will be noticed that the link or yoke 7c is slotted at its lower end, such slot engaging with the studs o, which project from the sides ofthe coupling. By these means the front end of the coupler has a vertically-radial movement, in order to allow it to vary in height with the l varying height of the cars which it may bedesired to couple.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A hose-coupling consisting of two parts substantially alike, each of which is provided with an inclined face, e, through which the passage-Way extends, and a fixed flaring mouthshaped guide, h, arranged directly opposite to and partially surrounding its inclined face e, and constructed to guide the opposite parts in place when they come together, substantially as described.

2. The coupler C, iexibly connected .to the draw-bar, incombination with a spring, Z, imparting a constant forward impulse to the coupler, and a chain, n, limiting said impulse, as and for the purposes specied.

3. A hose-coupling in two parts, each of which is provided with a hook-shaped point, c, an inclined diaphragm, e, a socket, i, at the inner terminal of the diaphragm e, and a flaring mouth to guide the hook-shape points of the opposed parts to the sockets when the parts come together, substantially as specified.

4. A hose-coupler in two like parts, each part having a hook-shaped point, c, a socket, t', a mouth fiaring outward from said socket to guide the hook-point of one part into the socket of the other part when the parts come together, air-passages leading from the coupler to the hose, elastic bushings surrounding the mouths of the air-passages, and flexible supports connecting the two parts with the draw-bars, substantially as specified.

5. In combination with the hose-coupling of a system of air or steam brakes, the hose of which is required to be detachably connected Y between the cars to which the system is attached, the links 7c k', supporting the hosecouplings, the spring Z, running diagonally between the links to exert a constant forward pressure on said couplings, the chain n, attached to the coupler and inclining in a reverse direction to the spring to limit the extent of such pressure, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. rlhe hose-coupler C, pivotally supported near its rear endto the draw-.head or bufferv by means ofthe link 7c', with its front or free end supported from such draw-head by the bifurcated link k, which is slotted at its junction with the coupler to allow a vertically-ra- 'dial movement at that end of the coupler, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

CHARLIE EDGAR MARK.

Witnesses: A

H. S. SPRAGUE, CHARLES J. HUNT. 

